Pyrophoric lighter



0d. 19, 1954 E. A. MELLER PYROPHORIC LIGHTER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 15, 1951 INVENTOR ELLIOT ADOLPH MELLER ATTORNEYS @6112. 19, 1954 MELLER 2,691,882

PYROPHORIC LIGHTER Filed 001;. 15, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ELLiOT ADOLPH MELL'ER ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 19, 1954 assists UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to pyrophoric lighters of the kind wherein the fuel used is a gas, a supply of which is stored in a container and released, when required, for ignition by a flint and striker wheel or other convenient device.

The object of the invention is to provide improved means for releasing and controlling the outflow of gas from the container, whereby the flow is more readily adjustable to a suitable slow rate, and whereby such means for controlling the flow can be manufactured and assembled in quantity to give accurate results without necessitating lengthy and individual adjustment of each valve used.

According to the present invention the gas burning pyrophoric lighter comprises a casing, a container therein for liquefied gas fuel, an outlet valve assembly mounted on the container and including a hollow cylindrical internallythreaded body with a gas inlet leading axially thereinto, a resilient disc arranged coaxially in the valve body to cover the inlet, a centrallybored screw-threaded sleeve threaded into the valve body to define With the valve body a cylindrical chamber of adjustable length within which the resilient disc may deform under the pressure of gas led in through the inlet, and a reciprocable spring-loaded centrally-bored outlet valve mem ber arranged slidably through the sleeve and abutting against the resilient disc to form a stop 1 valve therewith, a rotatable collar mounted externally on one wall of the casing, coupling means arranged between said collar and the rotatable sleeve whereby the position of the sleeve and the length of the flame issuing from the outlet valve can be adjusted from the exterior of the casing, a pyrophoric flint and a striker wheel therefor mounted on said wall of the casing, and means for simultaneously operating by hand said stop valve to release the gas and said striker wheel to ignite the gas released.

Means for simultaneous operation of the stop valve and striker wheel may comprise a fingeroperated trigger reciprocably mounted on the casing, coupling means between the trigger and the striker wheel for rotation thereof, and a lever engaged With the reciprocable valve member and arranged to be contacted by the trigger as the trigger is depressed.

Such resilient regulator may be for instance a flap or washer of rubber or analogous resilient material.

The rate of flow of the gas is adjusted by limitation of the deformation of the resilient regulator when the valve is opened, and this adjusttube I3.

ment may be performed, for instance, by means of a sleeve or the like screw-threaded into the valve body and adjusted from the exterior, advantageously by hand.

To obtain a gas-tight seal between the valve and the container, an oval washer has been found to be particularly effective in practice.

In a form of construction of linkage for this purpose, a vertically-moving trigger serving to actuate the usual striker wheel and disposed at the upper part of the lighter engages at its lower part, within the lighter, with a plunger contacting one end of a floating lever, the other end of which is engaged between the body of a shutoff valve and a movable abutment or flange coupled to or mouted on a movable and preferably spring-loaded valve member, whereby depression of the trigger causes lifting of the valve to open it.

The trigger member is preferably springloaded and has at its upper part teeth or a rack or the like to engage with a snuffer coupled to the striker wheel so as to rotate the latter when depressed.

In order that the invention may be more fully understood, a construction of lighter is shown by Way of example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the lighter, showing the operating linkage.

Figure 2 is a section through a valve.

In Figure l, the upper surface I of the lighter has a centrally mounted striker wheel 2 mounted on lugs 3 which also carry a pivoted snufier l. To one side of the striker wheel 2 is disposed a trigger 5 having teeth 6 which engage with the snufier. As the trigger is successively depressed, the striker wheel 2 is rotated in the same direction for successive steps. A plunger member passes at its lower part through a vertical tube 8 to the inside of the lighter casing 9. At its lower end the plunger member l engages with one end 10 of a floating lever ll apertured at E2 to pass freely about a vertically depending flint The other end of the lever H is an gaged between a body portion Hi and a flange !5 on a spring-loaded release valve having at its opening a flame boss. The valve is screw-threaded into a tank it occupying the lower part of the lighter casing. A screw-threaded closure ll on the flint tube may serve to retain a bottom plate is for the lighter casing in position, and hold the parts of the lighter together. The tank it is readily removable as a whole for replacement if required.

ed body portion 43 receives a centrally boredscrew-threaded sleeve 44 therein to define a? cylindrical chamber of adjustable length. Within the sleeve 44 is disposed slidablyna recipro cable centrally bored outlet valve member .45

spring loaded by a spring 45 and bearing downwardly and abutting at its lower end, to form a stop valve, against a pad or flap 4! of rubber or the-like arranged coaxially in a'transversewposh, The lower extremity of the valve member '45 extends tion; in." the body 1 A3 belowv the :-sleeve 14 through the lower end of the-:sleeve M -.and, .en.- gages with the :central portion. only of the flap or; pad .41.

storagecontainer 49 -and.which is. covered by the padt l'l. The-periphery of the fiap or pad can be raised bythepressure of the gas according to the space remaining within the body. 1 43 belowzthe sleeve -44. tated from the exterior-foracljustment to increase or decrease the'gap left and thereby controlthe flow of: gas when-the-valve-is opened.

In the position of thesleevetillustrated, the sleeve is at its uppermost position of adjustment corresponding to maximum gas flow and any 'ad-.

justment to reduce the flow of gas would be made by ;rotation 70f the sleeve Ad in .the direction to lower it in. the body 43:.

The' lower end of the valve .member w: is 1 provided with'a 1 small opening; 513-401" the .-passage of the gas to an interior bore 5! for. the

valve member.

The upper part oflthewalvemember is pro vided .with'a vflange 52 for-engagement by a .link

arm 53 so as to cause the valve to .-open-twhen.

the end of the arm 53 is-depressed in the direction of the arrow.

I claim:

l.-. A- gaseburning pyrophoric lighter comprising a casing, a container therein forliquefied gas fuel, an outlet valve assembly mounted on the 1 container and including-ahollow cylindrical .in-. 1

ternally-threaded'valve body with a gas inlet leadingaxially thereto,-a resilient discarranged coaxially-in the valve body to, coverthe'inlet, a centrally-bored screw-threaded .sleevethreaded Below. the-latter is. .an. axial. ;inlet; passage -48 through which the-gas flows from a.

The sleeve 44 can: be ro-- into the valve body to define with the valve body a cylindrical chamber of adjustable length within which the resilient disc may deform under the pressure of gas led in through the inlet, and a reciprocable spring-loaded centrally-bored outlet valve member arranged slidably through the sleeve and abutting against the resilient disc to form a stop valve therewith, a rotatable collar mounted externally on one wall of the casing, coupling meansiarranged between saidzcoll'ar and the rotatable-sleeve whereby-the position of the sleeve and the length of the flame issuing from the outlet valve can be adjusted from the exterior ofarthercasing, a pyrophoric flint and a striker wheel therefor mounted on said wall of the casing; and means for simultaneously operating by handsaid stopvalve to release the gas and said striker wheel to ignite the gas released.

2." A gas burning pyrophoric lighter comprising a casing, a container therein for liquefied gas r-;fuel,- arr-:ontlet rvalve assembly mounted on the .containerand-including; a:. hollow cylin,- drical internallythreaded;valve bodygwith a gas.

inlet. 'rlead-ingaxially 'thereinto, a resilientttdisci arranged coaxiallyin; thee valve'-.bo.clytoacover,

the inlet, a centrally-bored screw+threadedsleeve threaded into the valve-b ody; to-define with. the. valve body -a. cylindrical chamber of adjustablev length within. which ".the-cresilient discrmay ele.-

iormeunder. the pressure for, gas-(led. :in through: v the inlet, and .a reciprocable spring-loaded- .0911? I tr ally;bored outlet valve member arranged-.- .slid-. A ably through the "sleeve and abutting against the resilient disc to form a stop valvertherewith, a.

rotatable Y collar -mountedexternally; on. one; wall of the casing, coupling-means arranged .betweenz said collar and the rotatable sleeve :wherebythe sleeve is adjustable fromthe exterior Of -llhfi C3131" ing, 'a-py-rophoric fiintyandastriker Wheel mount.

= ed on' said wallaof the casing,.- a;-.finger.-operatedtrigger :reciprocably-mounted on the casing, C011: pling .mea-ns between the triggerand the-striker:

wheel for rotation thereof, and a-;lever-engaged.; with the reciprocable vazlyememberv and arranged-. to be contactedpby the .--trigger I as. the trig er.

is depressed;

References Citedin' th'e file-of this patent Nissen Decr9, 1952 

